Today is another sea day, the last one, so there's no rush. As we walk along the corridor, Riri comes running after us and says there's a surprise in the Lido, right at the front. So, we decide to head there first. Turns out they've filled the entire pool area, not the water but everything else, with animals made out of towels. On the tables, on the deck chairs, on the edge of the pool, and the whirlpool. There are so many of them. It looks really cute, and it's clear that we have plenty of towels on board.
After breakfast, we head to the Mainstage. It's a bit early, but we want to secure a good spot for the two presentations that are coming up, and whether we read and write there or somewhere else doesn't really matter.
The first presentation was by Kevin and it was about the history of the Holland America Line. Incredibly interesting and well-delivered.
Next up was the captain. He gave a virtual tour of the bridge in his humorous style and talked about the ship's technology. He also mentioned that there's no choice between tendering and docking, assuming it's even possible. The harbor master in Ushuaia doesn't like him, so even after much deliberation, he couldn't arrange a better berth. Pilots are also mandatory. Not that they're always helpful. Many of them can't handle the Azipod system that this ship has and are just there for show. The last one, no kidding, was sipping coffee and taking selfies on the bridge. Then he could leave the ship again.
It's clear that the captain really enjoys his work, and he and Kevin get along excellently. They're always teasing each other. Actually, the whole, well, we haven't seen all 768 of them of course, crew seems to be enjoying themselves.
When this is over at 12 o'clock, we head back to the cabin, I finish writing up to here, and we'll see what the rest of the day brings.
Not much out of the ordinary, which is also nice. We have lunch in the Lidl and then sit on our own balcony, which has much more sun than expected now that we're heading north. When it gets too warm, we move inside where I finish my book, and in the late afternoon, we shower and dress up a bit fancier before heading out for a drink.
Finding a spot for a drink is not easy because everywhere is full. There are a few private parties, and in the Gallery Bar, they're watching a sports match on the big screens, so they've set up some kind of bleacher-style seating. Without the elevation though.
So, we head to the Billboard, where there's not a soul in sight. Very unusual. I try a new cocktail, this time with rum. I can't remember the name right now. It's okay, but certainly not a favorite.
For dinner, we dine in the Dining Room, and it's once again enjoyable. At 8:10, we're back at the Billboard where Meagan and Gabe have already started. It's very crowded, as always for their first show of the evening. We keep moving a little and eventually find a spot on the couch. They have a one-hour break, and we stay with our books. There's music trivia, but fortunately presented by someone else: Coné this time. It's about guessing the captain's favorites, and we quite like his taste. We don't participate, but we still hear it, of course. We watch M&G's second show and then head upstairs. We read for a bit and then hit the hay.